Franco Colapinto shares what Flavio Briatore has ‘assured’ him amid Alpine’s approach to Mercedes for Valtteri Bottas

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Franco Colapinto will continue to drive for Alpine on a race-by-race basis, but his seat is far from secure as Flavio Briatore is now exploring the availability of Valtteri Bottas.

The Enstone outfit have already made one change to their driver line-up during the 2025 F1 season, with Colapinto taking over the seat that Jack Doohan held at the start of the year. It might not be the only change that Alpine executive adviser Briatore decides to make, either.

Briatore wants to use this season as his chance to find the best teammate for Pierre Gasly in 2026, when Alpine will switch from having a factory Renault engine to a Mercedes customer supply. The Italian is not totally enthusiastic about Colapinto’s performances thus far, either.

Alpine only announced Colapinto on a five-round deal to replace Doohan, but he will stay in the seat for the British Grand Prix on a race-by-race basis. The Argentine must up his game, though, as Briatore rued that Colapinto was ‘a long way from Q3’ at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Flavio Briatore has ‘assured’ Franco Colapinto that the Alpine driver still has his ‘trust’

It also emerged at the Austrian GP that Bottas is Alpine’s No1 candidate to replace Colapinto if Briatore decides to make another change in the 2025 season. The 35-year-old is currently Mercedes’ reserve driver, but wants to get a race seat quickly after leaving Sauber last year.

READ MORE: Who is Alpine 2025 F1 driver Franco Colapinto? Everything you need to know

Briatore’s interest in Bottas has put Colapinto, who qualified in P14 for the Austrian GP and finished the race in P15, on notice ahead of the British GP. But the Buenos Aires native says Briatore has ‘assured’ him that the 22-year-old has Alpine’s de facto team principal’s ‘trust’.

Colapinto said, via quotes by Motorsport-Total: “I feel supported, and Flavio has assured me of his trust. We talk every day to work on my performance.

“The car is fast, but difficult to drive and not consistent enough to give me the confidence I need in fast corners. We need to take a step forward as a team.”

Franco Colapinto must improve after Flavio Briatore approached Mercedes for Valtteri Bottas

Colapinto might still have Briatore’s ‘trust’, but the Italian – hired as the executive F1 adviser for the now-former Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo – has approached Mercedes to discuss Bottas’ availability. Toto Wolff would also not have an issue letting Bottas regain an F1 drive.

Bottas is not currently primed to replace Colapinto, but he is Briatore’s first choice if the seat next to Gasly becomes available again this year. He put Colapinto in the car before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as Doohan was still to score a point, but the Argentine is yet to impress.

READ MORE: Who is Alpine’s F1 executive adviser Flavio Briatore? Everything to know

Briatore is publicly demanding more from Colapinto as he only finished P16 at Imola, P13 in Monaco, P15 in Spain, P13 in Canada and P15 in Austria. If he fails to impress at Silverstone, Briatore may call Mercedes again with F1 on a break before the Belgian GP on July 25 to 27.

Only Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda even finished behind him as Colapinto drew a five-second penalty in the Austrian GP for forcing Oscar Piastri off track. He simply failed to see that the McLaren ace was trying to lap him while fighting for the win at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday.